Sit-stand desk speeds patient recovery at rehab unit

The installation of a custom made sit-stand desk at a new brain injury rehabilitation centre in Melbourne's south-east has sped up patients' recovery process.

The brand new, advanced centre has enabled patients to move out of hospital or nursing facilities sooner, where specialised care can begin. As a result, the rehabilitation process can also start sooner.

Moving patients out of hospital and into proactive rehabilitation kick-starts not only the physical journey, but the emotional one too. A dedicated centre allows for more specialised, expert care.

Height-adjustable desk specialist Ergomotion installed a custom made standing desk at one of Australia's first brain rehabilitation hubs. The electric height adjustable desk was installed for the rehabilitation of patients.

A few particular design modifications meant they could create a desk that could be adapted to the specific needs of patients at the centre. The electronic motors means users – even those in wheelchairs – would not struggle to operate the lifting and lowering desk mechanism.

Rehabilitation exercises and activities

Rehabilitation exercises generally fall into two main areas: physical and cognitive.

The most common cognitive activities involve skills like language, memory, reasoning and visual perception. These activities are designed to train (or retrain) the brain.

Cognitive rehabilitation is commonly associated with the colloquial "brain training", but these two terms differ slightly. Brain training is normally used by healthy individuals who wish to "prevent age-related deficits before they occur" – like Lumosity or Nintendo brain training apps and games. Cognitive remediation or rehabilitation are exercises designed to improve cognitive deficits.

Physical rehabilitation exercises will differ in not only the area of the body being worked, but also the intensity of the activity. Every patient will be at a different stage of their individualised rehabilitation routine, so it's essential they are armed with the tools and equipment to cater to their individual needs.

When it comes to sit-stand desk, the ability to adjust its height to suit each and every user in facility ensures maximum benefit and use.

Height adjustable desks: why is electric better than manual?

It's just like the age-old automatic vs manual car debate.

It's simple: manual means worked by the hands rather than by an electrical device. Hand-cranked height adjustable desks often become cumbersome. It's not unusual for those kinds of desks to end up as stagnant, sitting desks.

Furthermore, it's not unlikely that patients will need help from a carer to adjust manual desks, rather than having the freedom to do it themselves, when they want to, with just the push of a button on an electric height adjustable desk.

Custom made standing desks are adaptable to many patients

Ergomotion crafted the desks to have a deep cut out on the front surface, much like a semi-circle cutting into the desk. The custom made desks allow those who use wheelchairs to move closer to the desk to do their rehabilitation exercises.

All patients are in different circumstances and therefore have different needs – some are wheelchair-bound, whereas others are standing. The key here is adaptability, and the ease with which the furniture and equipment supporting their rehabilitation journey can adapt to their needs, and provide them with the most effective and comfortable setting.

Young people in rehabilitation

Doing a quick Google search on young people living in nursing homes will reveal it to be a sensitive debate topic.

The facilities common in nursing homes are often not suited to younger patients who will frequently find themselves improvising exercises on equipment not quite right for them.

In the past for Victorian patients there have been very few alternatives.

The new Melbourne rehabilitation centre provides an opportunity for young people to begin a more proactive and appropriate recovery journey.

Youngcare is an Australian organisation dedicated to raising awareness and funds to move young Australians out of nursing homes and into more appropriate rehabilitation centres.

They've released some statistics on their website that help illustrate the issues young Australians face when they have little to no choice when moved to an aged care facility for their recovery. Social isolation and depression are some of the links associated with young people in aged care.

Moreover, the issue here does not lie solely with the individual. Family and friends who surround them also feel the strain, stress and a sobering feeling of helplessness.

This new centre will provide some much-needed and specialised care for younger people who have a growing need for specialised, dedicated, advanced care. Slick design and equipment, paired with brilliant nursing and neurological specialists, will help create a proactive and positive environment for these patients on their way to recovery.

Ergomotion specialises in the design, manufacture, supply and installation of the motiondesk, an electric height adjustable desk. There are a large range of models available to cater for specific needs and requirements. The desk frames are adjustable in length catering for the most popular desk shapes and sizes on the market. Custom frames can also be made for special desks. The motiondesk can also have a memory option allowing the user to set their preferred heights for sitting and standing.

The motiondesk is a height adjustable desk that facilitates adjustment from a sitting to a standing position at the touch of a button. The height adjustment is quick, easy and most importantly, effortless. Having an electric adjustable sit-to-stand desk creates a healthier and productive work environment. The use of the motiondesk- electric height adjustable desk also has the following benefits:-

-Caters for all people of different shapes and sizes -Reduces the OH&S risks associated with sitting and static posture for prolonged periods of time -Allows the desk height to adjust to the user and not vice versa-Increases employee morale -Maintains a healthier, more productive work environment -A reduction in initial and ongoing costs associated with RSI injuries -Allows a proactive approach to injury prevention -Ideal for multi-user and multi-taksing ergonomic desks

Ergomotion also supplies the following accessories for their electric height adjustable desks:--Adjustable CPU holder to house the computer under desk and off the floor.-Cable tray to tidy all the cables under the desk and remove them from the floor.

The CPU holder and cable tray reduce the risk of tripping and falling by removing the hazards of computers and cables on the floor.

Ergonomic office chairs, monitor arms and footrests can also be supplied to complement the electric height adjustable desk.